On Culture and Climate: Hirshhorn Artist Talk with John Akomfrah and Olafur Eliasson

6 October 2020

“Who can we trust with our collective future?” A question posed by artist John Akomfrah—raised in relation to his epic video work Purple, which offers a visual meditation on the effects of human progress on the planet—sums up an important issue our global society is facing today. At a time when futures feel uncertain for many reasons, many creatives have turned their eyes toward raising awareness of environmental issues, using culture as a platform to bolster evidence provided by science that we are at a moment of collective crisis.

Hosted by the Hirshhorn Museum, Artists John Akomfrah and Olafur Eliasson will join National Geographic Magazine editor in chief Susan Goldberg for a discussion on their significant work as both artists and advocates for climate reform, while touching on the ways that artists engage with the important issues of their time and employ art as a tool in the making and shaping of history.

The online discussion will take place on Saturday 10 October at 2pm EST / 7pm BST.
Click here to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about streaming the program.

Learn more about the event and the Hirshhorn Museum's ongoing virtual event programming here.

Image: Installation view – John Akomfrah Purple (2017) at Palais de Tokyo, Paris, 2020. Courtesy of Smoking Dogs Films and Palais de Tokyo, Paris